A RAMELTON business has highlighted the damaging effects of not having a local taxi service after they found customers weren’t booking due to the struggle of getting home.
Opening their doors in 2021, the Bridge Bar Restaurant has been offering simple, locally inspired seasonal menus weekly, from Thursday to Sunday.
However, when they noticed customers weren’t booking due to the lack of public transport, they decided something needed to be done.
Speaking to the Donegal News, restaurant owner, Roisin Llorente said having no taxi service can be really embarrassing for them.
“We have customers who don’t know when they come in, they have a nice night and then they don’t have any way home.
“A lot of the time we have had to get our friends or family to leave people home because we have been stuck.
“If they phone in before to plan and they ask us if we have any taxi numbers, we are giving them the numbers knowing full well they aren’t going to get a taxi.
“A lot of the time they won’t book because it is too hard to get home,” she said.
Taking issues into her own hands, Roisin has called on the TFI to extend their late night 300 Fanad to Letterkenny service to Thursday and Sunday nights.
“At the minute the Local Link provides a great service between Fanad and Letterkenny that runs throughout the day and Friday and Saturday evenings.
“If it was extended to the Thursday and Sunday evenings as well, I think it would be beneficial to every business not just ourselves.
“There is a lot of great cafés, bars and restaurants on that route and coming into this time of year, it is always hard.
“You are waiting for every customer to come through the door.
“We don’t get the joy of bus services in rural areas so much and I think if we fight for it, it might happen,” she said.
Commenting on the call to extend the 300 Fanad to Letterkenny service, Cllr Pauric McGarvey said he thought it was a great idea.
“I think it is a great service and extending it would be a great idea.
“There is a serious shortage of taxis and that is across every rural town and even Letterkenny,” he said.
However, Cllr McGarvey said the main aim of the proposed extension would be to keep rural pub’s doors open.
“These pubs are struggling and this winter is going to be a big test for most small businesses due to the cost of living. It would help every business on the route, even the smaller pubs,” he said.
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